Improved apparatus for displaying- spools of silk, cotton



itin-iis JOHN N.- LEONARD, oF ARoorrvlLrnE, CONNECTICUT..

Lettersltent No.. 92,619, dated July- 13,1869.

,IMPROVED .APIE'AR'.II"U'Sl FOR DISPLAYING- SPOOLS OF SILK, CQTTON, Gle.

The Schedule referred to in these Letters Patent and. making paxtot the lame.

To ali whom. 'it may concern v Be it known that I, J omi N. LEONARD, of the village .of Rockville, county of Tolland, and State of Connecticut, have invented a new and useful Apparatus for Properly Displaying such Articles of Merchandise as Spool Sewing-Silk, Machine-Twist, Cotton-Threads, Src.; and I do hereby declare that Athe following is a full and exact description-of the same,.reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon.

Figure 1 represents a vertical section;

Figure 2 is an outline view of the entire apparatus;

Figure 3 is av section through the line z z;

Figure 4 is a section of column A, through line :c :c and Figures 5 and 6 are outline views of the label.

Excepting by the use of glass show-cases (which are not only injurious to colors by almost 'constant exposition to light, but glass is itself an absorbent of colors,)

the only means by which the merchant or salesman can ostend or display to customers and purchasers his spoolsilk,"'threads,&c., is to take from the shelf and open nunierous boxes and packages, and this often to effect Yvery small o r no sales.

As fine colors soon become faded when too constantly- Yexposed to rays of natural light, any mechanical -ar- /rangement to assistv the salesman indisplaying such goods must be so constructed as tol open .only at 'such times as actually required for the purpose, and closed at all other times, to shield them 'from the action of the elements.

This is an instrument for displaying colors; and is so arranged that a great `number of spools of silk oi'.

thread ofvarious colors and shadesmay be brought to the point of observation without the slightestA difficulty, and with the same facility'closed om sight and exposure `to atmospheric circulation, as will be seen by the following description of its construction.

Construction.

Alternately connected, by spur-wheels GAC, are the'- bottom journals ofA-A, which are reed-like columns, hollow in the centre, to admit of numerous spools, and

provided at the top with journals, which, extendingwhich is made fast tothe bottom of G, a column extending to and through t, the cover D, and provided .there witha lever or hand-wheel, L.

At the` bottom of base, B, there is a circular groove, which corresponds with a similar groove at the base of J, and between'these two grooves, at proper intervals, are placed three round balls or spheres, H, of uniform s ize, on which rests the entire apparatus above the base, B, affording avery simple means for its rotation.

The spools are held fast in the columns by means of wire rods, M, supported by shelves K, which are as numerous as the styles or colors desired to be shown in each column.

As it would deface the ordinary labels vof spools to slip them over wire. rods,` my labels, O, to overcome this, are provided with a hole, N, ornamentally perforated through them, leaving ample margin for the necessary letters and gures.

The shelves K may be used without the rods M, if the ordinary labels are preferred. However, with or without wire rods, the s pools are' placed within thev hollow columns, and the following is the mode of operation:

Bymeans of the handfwheel, all of the columns containing spools -`may beV made to revolve and displayall the goods thereon; and in case the desired colordoes not appear on the side toward the observer, the whole up.` per portion 'of the apparatus may be revolved upon the main base, and by 4the same lmeans the said columns are revolved so as to bring the face ofthe spools to# ward the centre column, shielding them from destructible agents. l

The object 4of revolving the hollow columns altere'y them. j

Claim.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is-

{lhe combination of hollow columusAA with spurf wheels C C, with the revolving base B, cap D, column G, and base J, all as described.

J. N. LEONARD.

Witnesses:

j ANDREW R. ERYER,

ROBERT FRYER. 

